Coupling device for toy vehicles



Aug. 25, 1942. H. w. GAGER 2,293,896

COUPLING DEVICE FOR TOY VEHICLES Filed June 20, 1940 H0 WARD 4. 61165INVENTOR.

-5 BY 3UQZDWI5GIW ATTORNE Y5.

Patented Aug. 25, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved coupling device for providing asimple and efiicient releasable connection between leading and trailingvehicles or cars. The invention is of general utility but isparticularly useful in providing a releasable connection between toytractor and trailer vehicles or cars.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a device of the classdescribed which is simple and inexpensive to construct and which isefiicient in operation.

Another object is to provide a connection of the class described whichenables automatic interconnection of vehicles by relative movement ofsuch vehicles toward each other.

Still another object is to provide a connection which may bedisconnected either automatically or manually as desired.

A further object is to provide a connection in which the latching meansis maintained in latching position by the force of gravity but ismovable for releasing the connection by moving the latching elementagainst the force of gravity.

Another and more specific object is to provide a connection having aratchet or star wheel on one of the vehicles which is moved by acoupling member on another vehicle and which is held in latchingposition by a pawl cooperating with the ratchet wheel.

The foregoing together with other objects will become apparent from aconsideration of the following description of an illustrative embodimentof the invention, such description referring to the accompanying drawingin which:

Fig, 1 is an elevational view showing trailer vehicles equipped with aconnection illustrative of the invention, parts being shown in sectionto disclose structural details;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the trailer vehicles shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the trailer vehicles showing a manuallyoperable modification of the connection.

In the drawing I and 2 are trailer vehicles between which a releasableconnection 3 is provided. The vehicle I carries a coupling member 4having a coupling pin 5 extending vertically therefrom and provided witha head 6.

The frame or base I of the vehicle 2 is shown as constituting a couplingmember which is provided with a slot 8 to receive the pin 5 as the unitsI and 2 are moved relatively toward each other.

As the pin 5 movesinto the slot 8 it engages one of the teeth In on astar or ratchet wheel I I which is pivoted at I2 adjacent the slot 8so'th'at the teeth I0 overlie the slot. It seems apparent that, asviewed in Fig. 3, entry or withdrawal of pin 5 from the slot 8 willcause limited angular rotation of the star wheel I I.

It is desired that, as viewed in Fig. 3, the star wh'eel II rotatesfreely in a counterclockwise direction as the pin 5 enters the slot 8but that, in order to efi'ect a connection between the units I and 2,the star wheel be restrained from rotation in the opposite directionwhen a force is applied tending to withdraw the pin from within theslot. This manner of functioning is broughtabout by means of a latchpawl mechanism gen-' erally referred to as I5, and comprises a generallyU-shaped wire or rod I5 having an extension H on one limb thereof actingas a pawl arm to engage the star wheel I l. The pawl arm I1 is displacedangularly from the remaining portion of the latch member I 5 so that theU-shaped portion thereof depends downwardly and is retained in suchposition by the force of gravity acting thereon since the entire latchis pivotally mounted upon journals I9 and 20 attached to the lower sideof the member I.

It is to be noted that the latch member I5 is rotatably mounted in thejournal member I9 in such a manner that axial movement of the latchmember in the journal is avoided. Journal 20, however, is positionedapproximately mid way between the reverse bends connecting the U- shapedportion IS with the pawl arm I I. By virtue of this construction theentire latch member I5 between journal l9 and the end 2I thereof servesas a spring whereby the pawl arm I! serves the desired function as willmore fully appear,

It is apparent that any upward force upon the U-shaped portion I6 of thelatch I5 will cause the latch member to rock in its journal and hencethe pawl arm I! will move downward from engagement with the star wheelII. In this manner the star wheel is free to rotate and hence aconnection previously made is released by such lifting of the dependingposition of the latch member I5.

In order to make this feature automatic the road or trackway 25 uponwhich the vehicles I and 2 travel in the direction indicated by thearrow 24 is provided with a manually operable arm 26 which is pivotedupon the roadway as indicated in Fig. 2 so that the arm 26 may be movedto a vertical position by means of a lever 23 adjacent the roadway.

The operation of the embodiment as thus far described is believedapparent. By way of summary it will be assumed the vehicle I is movedtoward the vehicle 2 so that the pin 5 enters the slot 8 thus engagingone of the teeth It) on the star wheel II and causing rotation thereof.Prior to this rotation the end 2| may be in engagement with the lowerface of one of the teeth 10 on the star wheel I l or may have enteredthe notch between adjacent teeth. If the former, initial rotationalmovement of the star wheel will permit the end 2| to enter the notchbetween adjacent teeth and hence to effect desired locking of the starwheel. If the end 2| had previously entered the notch between adjacentteeth of the star wheel H, the rotation of the star wheel will cause thepawl arm II to be resiliently moved outwardly by the nearest adjacenttooth and as the pin 5 approaches the inner end of the slot 8 the pawlarm will ride over the tip of such adjacent tooth and engage therearmost surface thereof. Such engagement will prevent rotation of thestar wheel II in the opposite direction when a force is applied tendingto withdraw the pin 5 from within the slot 8. The connection 5 is thuscompleted and the training vehicle 2 will be drawn by the motive forceapplied to the vehicle I.

In order to disconnect the trailer vehicles I and- 2 the lever 23 maybeoperated to tilt the arm 26 upward to engage the U-shaped portion l6of the latch member l5. Thus as the trailer vehicles I and 2 pass overthe arm 26 the U-shaped portion of the latch member IE will be engagedthereby and the latch member will be tilted within the journals I9 and20 whereby the latch arm [1 will move from engagement with the starwheel II. The star wheel is then free to rotate and accordingly the pin5' may be withdrawn from within the slot 8.

The latching mechanism is shown in modified form in Fig. 4' wherein thestar wheel I l is shown as positioned on the opposite side of the slot8. The latching member IS in this modification comprises a leaf springwhich is anchored at 21 upon the nether surface of the member I. Theleaf spring i5 is normally in a position to engage a tooth of the starwheel II in a manner identical to the construction as shown in Figs. 1to 3.

In order to release the leaf spring l5 from engagement with the starwheel M an arm 28 is pivotally mounted at 29 upon the member I. This armhas a cam surface 38 which is normally in spaced relation with the leafspring l5 when the arm is engaged with a stop 3| upon the member I. Inorder to effect a release of the connection the arm 28 may be movedmanually into engagement with a stop 3| as indicated in dotted outlinewhereby the cam surface 38 moves the leaf spring l5 from engagement withthe star wheel H. The star wheel is thus free to rotate and the pin 5may be withdrawn from within the slot 8.

It is undestood that a plurality of trailer vehicles may beinterconnected by means of the releasable connection of the inventionand the forward vehicle in each of Figs. 3 and 4 is shown as providedwith a duplicate latching mechanism at its forward end.

Broadly the invention comprehends a ratchet type of releasableconnection which is simple and inexpensive to construct and efficient inits operation.

What is claimed is:

1. In a coupler for a leading vehicle and a trailing vehicle thecombination of a coupling pin on one of the vehicles, a member on theother of the units having a slot into which said pin is adapted to enteras the vehicles are moved toward each other, a star wheel mounted onsaid member with the teeth thereof overlying the slot so that the wheelis rotated as the pin enters the slot, stop-means mounted on the memberand movable by the teeth of the star wheel as the pin moves into theslot but adapted to restrain the wheel from rotation in the oppositedirection, said last mentioned means comprising a pawl member pivotedhorizontally intermediate a pawl arm and a depending portion responsiveto the force of gravity to move the pawl arm into the notches of thestar wheel, the pivot connection intermediate the pawl arm and thedepending portion being adapted to permit movement of the pawl memberaxially of the pivot, whereby the pawl arm is movable under resiliencyof the entire pawl member.

2. In a coupler for a leading vehicle and a trailing vehicle, a couplingpin on one of the vehicles, a member on the other of the vehicles havinga slot to receive said pin as the vehicles are moved toward each other,a star wheel mounted on said member with the teeth thereof overlying theslot so that the wheel isrotatedv as the pin enters the slot, a pawlmember pivotally mounted at spaced points on said member and extendingtransversely of the axis of the star wheel, said pawl member comprising.a pawl arm and a depending U-shaped portion, said portion beingresilient transversely thereof whereby said pawl arm is adapted to rideupon the teeth of the star wheel as the pin enters the slot and toengage and restrain the wheel from rotation in the opposite direction,and said depending portion being responsive by gravity to hold the pawlarm in position for engagement with the star wheel but engageablebeneath the vehicle to move the pawl arm and release the star wheel fromengagement thereby so that the pin may be removed from within the slot.

HOWARD W. GAGER.

